Hey! I announced with winner of the Bee Free Honee Giveaway!

Sweet Corn Pancakes

I remember my father making corn pancakes for me when I was little, and they’ve always been a favorite of mine.  There’s something unexpected and special about those sweet, crisp little nuggets hidden inside fluffy pancakes, and it never fails to make me smile!

For extra fun, I suggest preparing as mini-pancakes 🙂

Sweet Corn Pancakes (serves at least 2 )

You can use canned, frozen or fresh but make sure it’s cooked and (if frozen), thawed.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk, plus some extra to adjust consistency if needed
• 2.5 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
• 1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/3 cup AP flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, plus an extra pinch
• Heaping 1/2 cup of sweet corn

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients together in a large bowl, mixing well. Slowly add the coconut milk, oil and corn, mixing just until smooth. If it’s too thick, you can thin it out with a dash of coconut milk.
2. Ladle the batter onto hot, oiled pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Let sit until bubbles appear and then start to pop on top of the pancake, then flip. Make sure you don’t flip too soon because multiple flippings ruin the texture of the pancake!

Enjoy!

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Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

I don’t have much to say here except that I caught a cold. I was around a large group of people, with many kids, and I was drinking (because for me… the two go hand-in-hand) enough to put my immune system to sleep, apparently. So the next day I started sneezing, then my throat started to hurt and my nose started to run.

My first cold in almost 3 years, and it wasn’t even a small one. It was a WHOPPER of a cold! One of the worst I’ve ever had. And the only solution was Chicken Chik’n Noodle Soup.

I water sauteed the veggies and included lots of onions and garlic (nature’s antibiotics!) along with the usual carrots and celery. This veggie powerhouse also included sweet potatoes, my secret ingredient, if you will. And these adorable little noodles from Barilla- they’re called Cut Spaghetti and worked perfectly in this soup.  And, because I’m currently obsessed, I used soy curls for the chik’n.

Seriously. Who would look at that bowl and tell me that’s not chicken noodle soup??

Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup (makes 5-6 servings, more depending on how brothy you make it)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped (I used vidalia)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 3 celery ribs, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 2 cups soy curls
• 3 cups veggie broth
• 1.5 cups water
• 10 ounces small, dry pasta (I used cut spaghetti)
• S&P

Directions:

1. Water saute the onion and garlic in a soup pot for 1-2 minutes, then add the potato, carrots and celery. Add more water if necessary and continue to cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the bay and thyme, soy curls, then the broth and water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 5-6 minutes- make sure the pasta doesn’t over cook. If you’re not planning to serve the soup immediately you should reduce the cooking time by a minute or so.
3. When the pasta is done add S&P as needed. If the broth has thickened you can add more water as needed to thin it out- there’s so much flavor in here it wont taste watery!

Enjoy!

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This giveaway is now closed, and the randomly chosen winner is… Gabby from The Veggie Nook! She’s gonna use her Honee in some tea and then maybe on her granola- sounds yummy to me!

Jalapeno-Honee Cornbread

Honey? No… HONEE! A completely vegan alternative to honey, Honee is made from apples and is 100% natural. According to their website, it’s made with “only three all natural ingredients; apple, vegan quality sugar, and lemon juice. There is nothing artificial, no added color and no corn syrup.” Honee is available for purchase online as well as through multiple retailers nationwide.

They suggest using it on pancakes, and really you can use it anyway you might use honey (or agave), like in your tea or oatmeal. It’s sweet, but also a little tart- because it is, after all, made from apples. I love the flavor, it’s unique and has worked wonderfully each time I’ve tried it.  Last week I used it for baking, when I made Japapeno-Honee Cornbread. It worked perfectly! The sweet corn and honee were perfectly balanced out by the crisp little bites of jalapeno. I served these alongside a sort of “tex-mex” tofu/bean/rice/cheese bake, the recipe for which I promise to post soon!

So, can’t wait to try some Honee? Well, the good news is those fine folks would LOVE to share a bottle with one lucky reader of TWV– simply follow the rules below and good luck!

The Giveaway

One lucky reader, to be chosen from the comments below, is going to win a bottle of Bee Free Honee! 

The contest is open until Midnight (Mountain time), Wednesday 9/12. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced the following day. To Enter: All you gotta do is leave a comment below telling us what dish or recipe you would like to use Honee in.

Want more than one chance to win? Go ahead and do any or all of the following, and leave a separate comment for each, letting me know you did it. (Multiples grouped into one comment will only count once!)

• Follow TWV? on Twitter
• Tweet about the giveaway (make sure you tag me!)
• Like TWV? on FB
• Share the giveaway on your FB status

Good luck!!

*Bee Free Honee provided me with free product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine!

Jalapeno-Honee Cornbread (makes 12 mini-loaves)

Adapted from PPK recipe

Please note: This recipe was baked at high-altitude. Also, I used a mini-loaf pan, if you use a muffin pan the final number will come out differently.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour, plus 2 Tablespoons
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 3 Tablespoons Bee Free Honee
• 2 Tablespoons soy yogurt
• 1 cup sweet corn kernels
• 2 Tablespoons minced jalapeno
• Non-stick spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and spray mini-loaf pans with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, and in a separate bowl mix everything else except for the corn and jalapenos. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry, then gently stir in the corn and jalapeno. Don’t overmix.
3. Fill the pans to about 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Depending on your altitude, you might need to add a few more minutes at the end. You’ll know they’re done with they pass the toothpick test 🙂 Serve with vegan butter!

Enjoy!

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This weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, which will be celebrated by many a backyard BBQ. Below are a few vegan burger recipes for your consideration (and if you’re hosting said BBQ, check out my Guide To Vegan BBQ-ing!). Click on the pictures to get to the recipes.

Smoky-Sweet Chickpea Burgers with Adobo

These burgers, which are my absolute favorite, bring a whole mix of flavors to the (picnic) table: Sweet, smokey and spicy. If you’re a fan of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or are just game enough to add some heat to your plate), give these a try!

Spicy Chickpea Burgers

I think these were my first ever homemade vegan burgers, so they’ll always hold a special place in my heart! Plus it’s easy to adjust the amount of heat: just adjust the amount of chili powder and thai chili sauce!

Green Chile Black Bean Burgers

Now is the perfect time of year to make a Green Chile burger! There are stands set up all over the place selling fresh-roasted chilies from Hatch, NM and I’ve even seen them sold (fresh!) in stores.

Asian-Style Tempeh Burger

The only non-bean burger to make the list, this baby is perfect for your non-vegan guests who might turn their noses up at what they perceive to be a mushy burger substitute.  The flavors and textures are amazing, and a great addition to any grilling adventure!

Wherever you go and whatever you eat, here’s wishing you a safe and happy holiday weekend!

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Pssst! I announced the winner of the Fruitables Dog Treat Giveaway!

Grilled Apple Pie with Vanilla-Coconut Whipped Cream

This recipe was actually my submission to One Green Planet this month, but I wanted to reshare to make sure no one missed it- it’s that good.

As summer winds down my thoughts begin to turn towards traditional autumn dishes like apple pie, only I’m not ready to turn on my oven yet (mid 90’s this week in Denver, WTF!?). What’s a girl to do? Well… turn to her best hot-weather-friend, of course- the grill!

These are the perfect alternative to the traditional over-baked dessert: Fun, handheld apple pies you can cook without heating up your kitchen! Delicious apple pie filling wrapped in spring rolls, grilled, and then brushed with melted vegan butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.  The only thing that could possibly make it better is the vanilla-infused whipped coconut cream that is just perfect for dipping.

Grilled Apple Pie with Vanilla-Coconut Whipped Cream (Makes 10-12 rolls)

Ingredients (Apple Pie):

• 6 large apples (Fuji apples work great), peeled and sliced
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1 1/4 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3-4 pinches of sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 20-24 spring roll wrappers, defrosted
• Non-stick spray
• 2-3 Tablespoons vegan butter, melted
• 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar mix for sprinkling (this is approximate, you may need a little more/less)

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan over medium heat, mix the apples, water, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Once the mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 25 minutes stirring occasionally, or until the apples soften. The mixture isn’t going to cook inside of the spring rolls, so it’s important to give it plenty of time on the stove top. If the mixture gets too dry, add more water- you want it to be the same consistency as it would be inside of an already baked pie.
2. If you’ve never worked with spring roll wrappers before, the key is to be gentle with them. Leave the package on the counter for at least an hour before you start to work with them, and keep a bowl of cold water and a paper towel near by as you start to separate them. As you’re pulling a wrapper away from the rest, squeeze the wet paper towel at the point of separation. You can even rub the paper towel back and forth to help the wrappers separate, and this should keep them from tearing. If you’re still having trouble, try separating them two at a time.
3. Once the filling is ready, place the wrappers (2 at a time, doubled up) on a non-stick surface such as a cutting board with the points oriented up, down, left and right- like a diamond. Spoon 2 heaping spoonfuls (I used a soup spoon) onto the center of each. Grab the top point and fold it down to match up with the bottom, giving you an inverted triangle. Next take the two side points and fold them in towards each other. Finally, grab the bottom point and wrap it upwards and around the roll. As you finish, place each on a plate with the flap underneath the roll. If you need a picture, check out my buffalo tofu spring roll post.
4. When you’re finished building the rolls, heat the grill to medium/ medium-low heat and spritz with a little non-stick spray. Place your rolls onto the grill (flap side down) and leave for about 5 minutes. Flip and leave on for another 5 minutes. You want grill marks but you don’t want them to burn! Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, and serve with the vanilla-coconut whipped cream.

Ingredients (Vanilla-Coconut Whipped Cream):

• 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk, unshaken and left in the fridge overnight (I used Thai Kitchen)
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:

1. Gently open the cans, and scrape just the white solid portion out of the first can, avoiding the liquid at the bottom, into a large bowl. For the second can you can pour the entire thing into the bowl, liquid and all. Add in the vanilla and sugar and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy! Note: If you want a stiffer cream, use 3 cans, only using the solid portions.

Enjoy!

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Originally I made this with spaghetti, but nowadays I go more for a smaller pasta shape and one that really holds the sauce. Shells would be good, or penne. My personal fave though are cellantani: cute little twisty tubes that are bite-sized but hold a whole ‘lotta creamy goodness in them!Ed: This recipe was updated 8/2018 but the content is still original from 2012

Buffalo Chicken Soy Curl Spaghetti rocks! I realize that most vegans consider soy curls to be sooo 2011 (or something) but for me they’re brand new. I’ve read other blogger’s accounts of how wonderful and miraculous they are, but this was my first time trying them. For any other newbies out there wondering What Are Soy Curls?:

“They’re dehydrated strips of soy protein made out of whole, non-GMO soybeans that are slowly cooked until they’re soft, then processed by a machine that breaks them into strands. Then they’re slowly dried at a low temperature and packaged. That’s it. No added fat or flour — just soybeans that have been transformed, leaving them high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, with 10 grams of protein in every serving.” from Oregon Live.

This means they’re a whole food, very different from most mock meats which are derived from isolated soy proteins and full of preservatives and added calories and fat! Plus they look/feel exactly like chicken. You simply soak them in warm water for 10 minutes to rehydrate, squeeze them, the prepare however you like.

I bought them at Nooch last week, but couldn’t decide what to make with them until I saw a very interesting (non-vegan) recipe on Pinterest for buffalo spaghetti. We already know I love Buffalo Tacos and Buffalo Spring Rolls, so why not spaghetti too?

The sauce, which features cream cheese and bleu cheese dressing is super creamy with just the right amount of (adjustable!) buffalo heat and sticks to the pasta perfectly. And I think perhaps soy curls were invented with buffalo sauce in mind! Of course, I’m also anxious to try them in fajitas… and maybe a chik’n salad!??

Update: Originally I made this with spaghetti, but nowadays I go more for a smaller pasta shape and one that really holds the sauce. Shells would be good, or penne. My personal fave though are cellantani: cute little twisty tubes that are bite-sized but hold a whole ‘lotta creamy goodness in them!

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This giveaway is now closed, and the randomly-chosen winner is…  ammauceri! She has two pitbull mixes who are just gonna gobble these up 🙂  Have I ever mentioned what a soft spot I have for bully breeds? I think they’re just awesome dogs! So, ammauceri, email me (thatwasvegan (at) gmail (dot) com) with your address and which option you’d like!

For the rest of you- stay tuned, I’ll be back next with with ANOTHER GIVEAWAY! This one is meant for human consumption, is really sweet, and no bees were harmed in the making of it… and those are all the hints I’m giving you!

Please don’t let it ever be said that I play favorites with my human readers- clearly I value my doggie readers as well because this giveaway is ALL FOR THEM! Well, they may need your help entering, but you’ll be required to hand (paw?) the prize right over to them if you win!

I first discovered Fruitables about 6 months ago at my local Petco. I was on my usual pilgrimage for vegan kibble and I like to check out the selection of treats. Before Betty got sick I always baked their treats at home, but now that she can’t partake it doesn’t seem fair to fill the house with the wonderful scent of baking peanut butter. It’s not always easy to find vegan treats in the mainstream stores like petco and petsmart, so I usually end up annoyed- picking up package after package of treats that look healthy/interesting/vegan only to see “chicken stock” or something similar in the ingredients list.

Fruitables caught my eye with their amazing flavors, including Pumpkin Banana, Sweet Potato Pecan and Pumpkin Blueberry! I grabbed a bag and turned it over- all the ingredients  appeared vegan friendly with the possible exception of  “mixed tocopherols” which can be derived from either and plant or animal sources, but I tweeted the company and was promptly informed theirs were all plant-sourced. Perfect! I’m a huge fan of their ingredients- simple, vegan and healthy (example: Pumpkin Apple):

• Pumpkin
• Organic Oatmeal
• Pearled Barley
• Potatoes
• Oat Fiber
• Apples
• Canola Oil
• Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Natural Flavor
• Vanilla
• Mixed Tocopherols

They’re also free of wheat, corn, soy and artificial ingredients, colors and preservatives! And if any of you have a portly dog (like I do) you’ll appreciate the fact that each treat has under 9 calores.

Pumpkin Cranberry was the first flavor I brought home. As soon as you open the bag you’re amazed by the smell- you’ll swear you’re holding fresh baked human cookies or muffins!

Dogs love these crunchy little treats and you’ll enjoy giving them to your furry little best friends because they’re healthy and vegan!

The Giveaway

One lucky reader, to be chosen from the comments below, is going to win a fabulous selection of Fruitables dog treats! The winner will get their choice of either:

1. One bag each of all five flavors (Blueberry Pumpkin, Pumpkin Apple, Pumpkin Banana, Sweet Potato Pecan and Pumpkin Cranberry) (each bag contains ~90 treats) OR
2. Two full-sized bags of your choice plus a selection of smaller pouches that you can share with friends, family or random strangers at the dog park 🙂

The contest is open until Midnight (Mountain time), Monday 8/27. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced the following day.

To Enter: All you gotta do is leave a comment below telling us about a special dog in your life- past or present. We all have a special doggy soul mate, and I want to hear about yours!

Want more than one chance to win? Go ahead and do any or all of the following, and leave a separate comment for each, letting me know you did it. (Multiples grouped into one comment will only count once!)

• Follow TWV? on Twitter
• Follow Fruitables on Twitter
• Tweet about the giveaway (make sure you tag me!)
• Like TWV? on FB
• Like Fruitables on FB
• Share the giveaway on your FB status

Good luck!!

*Fruitables provided me with free product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine!

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Grilled Zucchini Boats

If this summer had an official food, it probably would’ve been these zucchini boats. While admittedly not the most exciting dish, they’re delicious, healthy, quick n’ easy to make and each boat has only ~85 calories!

Winner Winner Zucchini Dinner!

By grilling each side of the zucchini you get a wonderful texture- cooked yet still really firm.  We already know tomatoes and basil complement each other perfectly and Daiya… well, you know how much I love that vegan cheese! But you don’t need a lot- we’re not trying to make a pizza here, people.

I made these A LOT this summer. Usually as a side dish, but sometimes I’d eat 2 boats and call it dinner. I even brought them to work, nuked them for about 45 seconds and called them breakfast!

Oh! Speaking of things I can’t get enough of, I went here yesterday:

If it was possible to date a store, Nooch would be my new boyfriend. This place is awesome- and they’re only on their ‘soft opening’ right now, which means it’ll be even MORE awesome once all their shelves are stocked! Can you imagine anything better than an ALL VEGAN store? I know other cities have these already, but here in Colorado we’re a little bit behind the (vegan) curve. But we’re catching up!

Reia and I got there yesterday at 2:00 when they opened (soft opening = unusual hours), and I was like a kid in a candy store! I grabbed a basket and immediately got to work. My haul included:

• Soy curls
• Biscoff
• V-egg
• Sea-salted caramels
• Peanut butter cups
• A Jokerz candy bar that is basically a vegan snickers, and
• Teese mozzarella (mozzarella sticks, here I come!)

There was so much more I wanted to get, but I thought I should pace myself- especially since they’re adding more product over the next couple of weeks, so you know I’ll be back frequently. The best part was seeing all these vegan products that I’ve read about but never tried- like soy curls and Biscoff. BTW… Biscoff? Holy Monkey that stuff is good!

They also had products I didn’t even know existed- Tofurky and Field Roast HOT DOGS? Vegenaise in tons of different flavors, including pesto, chipotle, and tarter sauce, and there were 2 or 3 different kinds of boxed mac n’ cheese too! They also have a big cookbook section, some t-shirts and tons of vitamins.  All vegan! Yay! And everything was reasonably priced too- no more expensive than buying the same items at a regular grocery store or online from Amazon- and in some cases the prices at Nooch seemed lower.

Ok, I’m done gushing. Reia posted a full review, and she’s much better at those than I am. My forte is mostly just eating 🙂

Finally, just a heads up- we’re rushing to finish the house over the next few weeks so we can get it on the market by September, which means not much time for cooking or writing. I’ll still post, just not as much. Please don’t give up on me or think I’ve gone away for good because I haven’t. I love you guys too much for that!

Grilled Zucchini Boats (Makes 2 side servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium/large zucchini, washed
• ~1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• S&P
• 1 tomato
• 4-5 fresh basil leaves
• Daiya mozzarella shreds, about a handful

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium.
2. Trim ends off zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to gently scrape out the seeds from the center. Brush with just a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with S&P.
3. Place cut side down on the grill, leave for 6-8 minutes. You should have some grill marks.
4. Slice the tomato, then cut the slices in half to make little half-moons (these fit perfectly on the zucchini). Place 2-3 on each zucchini, depending on size.
5. Chiffonade the basil and layer on top of the tomatoes, then top with the Daiya. Sprinkle with S&P
6. Turn grill heat to medium-low, and put zucchini back on. At this point I like to lay them in between the grates, rather than across, to help them stay upright. Close the cover and leave on for about 5 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt.

Enjoy!

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Grilled Caprese Quesadillas

I haven’t felt much like cooking lately… or writing. Or even reading other blogs. I just feel kind of blah. Maybe I need a vacation? Anyway, in keeping with my lazy theme, I have a simple, grilled quesadilla for you today. I was craving something gooey and cheesy, and these seemed like the perfect way to use some of the basil and tomatoes that are all growing so well now that it’s no longer a billion degrees outside! (It’s still warm enough, though, that I’d prefer not to use my oven if I don’t absolutely have to!)

As with all grilled quesadillas, fresh tortillas work best! Once they’re a little stale they tend to get a bit too crispy/hard when you grill them.

Grilled Caprese Quesadillas (Makes 2 quesadillas)

Ingredients:

• 4 medium tortillas
• Daiya mozzarella cheese
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 15-20 fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Heat your grill to medium.
2. Sprinkle some daiya onto two of the tortillas, then layer tomatoes, basil, and some more cheese. Top with other tortilla and place on the grill. Slide it around a bit so it doesn’t stick, then cover and leave on for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

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